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Author
Topic: What Vitamins and Supplements should I take? (Read 12397 times)

I've been recently diagnosed (cd4, viral load, cd4% in my signature) and I'm wondering what all vitamins and supplements I should take. The only thing that my doctor told me to take was "Centrum A-Z one-a-day". Anything else that one might suggest?

Unless you have an obvious deficency, you probablly won't get any reccomendation other that " A good Multivatamin" from your doc. This is one area where its necessary to do some homework, the Nutrition section of the Lessons here is a great start (make sure to follow the link to larklands.net at the bottom) You'll probablly never find two people that take the same vitamin combo, and its not unusual for some to take two or three times more supliments than Meds. I'd caution you about so called 'Mega Dosing"- taking many times the reccomended dose of any given vitamin or supliment without the direct advice from YOUR doctor ( not some dipshit on the internet in a white coat) some meds can have interactions with supliments....Any nutritionist will stress the idea of getting your nutrients from food sources as opposed to a tablet, heres a link to one of my favorite websites...www.whfoods.comWorlds Healthiest Foods

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"Fortunately, I Keep My T Cells Numbered For Just Such An Emergency" -Either Foghorn Leghorn or Johnny Cash

A friend of mine started drinking DanActive (an immunity booster found next to the yogurt at your local grocery store) He drinks it everyday and his doctor was shocked at his bloodwork. His T-Cells rose and his viral load went down. Of course, there may be other reasons but the doc said she is going to recommend it for all her patients. What the hell I am going to give it a try, it actually taste good and it isn't too expensive. I have tried worse things over the past 21 years. Good luck.

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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

A friend of mine started drinking DanActive (an immunity booster found next to the yogurt at your local grocery store) He drinks it everyday and his doctor was shocked at his bloodwork. His T-Cells rose and his viral load went down.

I'm Not sure that DanActive is an Immunity Booster according to anyone other than DanActive. It Does however replace the 'good bacteria' in your digestive tract that can be wiped out by antibiotics (like Bactrim) and thereby cause diarhea and digestive problems. A healthy Digestive tract can protect against food borne illnesses thats probablly the 'Immunity Boost' theyre refering to. I took Bactrim for about 6 months after my Diagnosis, and I alternated between Danactive and live culture Yogurt every day after reading the experiences of some folks here, I never experienced any Diareha or other problems. And I stopped regular use of Danactive when I stopped taking Bactrim. I still like Yogurt occasionally though. My Tcell #'s and % have risen steadily since I started HAART, and continue to do so.

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"Fortunately, I Keep My T Cells Numbered For Just Such An Emergency" -Either Foghorn Leghorn or Johnny Cash

I'll back up wihat Lwood is saying here. I'm taking the Bactrim daily and Azithromycin 1200 mg once weekly, and I eat yogurt every single day. Usually multiple times daily. But then i'm a yogurt aficianado (ok, freak).

I'm trying to stick with organic yogurt exclusively, but then one pays for that privilege unfortunately.

Having said that, I have yet to have a problem with diarrhea since starting meds in February.If dairy products are a problem, soy yogurt may help with this.

Asking what you should take is really a loaded question that no one can give you a definative answer on. You have to be in tune with your body and as I usually say, "listen" to your body. A multi-vitamin may be all you need, your numbers look very good. Remember that vitamins and supplements are not going to hold the virus in check. Taking care of yourself getting the proper sleep eating right will help you. I've never been one to embrace western medicine 100% so I try not to take standard medicine when I catch a cold but rather use herbs supplements and vitamins to help my body fight it off. You will need to find your own happy medium here, research, things out then make a decision for what you feel is best for yourself. Read the thread below called " A Place To Start".There is a wealth of info here but in the end you must be the one to make the decisoins.

Having said that, I have yet to have a problem with diarrhea since starting meds in February.If dairy products are a problem, soy yogurt may help with this.

Take care,John

That's good to hear that John. I can not remember a time, since starting on meds, that I have had any diarrhea (SP) problems.(at least with this current regimen) I am also big into yogurt, and Dan-active drinks. I also, have never had a recurring case of thrush since restarting on meds. No digestive issues currently, and stable weight. In fact, I intentionally lost about 7 pounds in the past 5 or so months, because the doctor suggested I give it a try. So, I changed diet a little.

As far as vitamins and supplements (It varies for me at times) but mostly:

Centrum Silver

CO-Q-10---150 mgs

L-glutamine---500 mg

Acetyl- L- Carnitine and Alpha lipoic Acid (combined in one pill) the L-carnitine is 500mg and the ALA- is 150 mg

Fish,flax,Borage(in one capsule ) 1200 mg

I also eat a fairly well balanced diet. ( or at least try) lots of fruits and vegetables)

I bought some Danactive Saturday, drank a bottle and woke up the next day with a huge cold sore. I'm sure it's just a coincidance but I'm afraid to drink any more.

does it have arginine? that can cause that. or maybe did you have something else that contained arginine? my friend always gets cold sores from arginine and this has been the case with him for years. he avoids it like the plag

I've been recently diagnosed (cd4, viral load, cd4% in my signature) and I'm wondering what all vitamins and supplements I should take. The only thing that my doctor told me to take was "Centrum A-Z one-a-day". Anything else that one might suggest?

If you're on Reyataz (Atazanavir) you must definitely ask your doctor about vitamins and interactions. Of course all poz folks should ask their docs about vitamins and interactions

I take Centrum; when I'm exercising strenuously, I also take a B-complex tablet. My body seems to require it. There's a small body of HIV-specialist nutritionists -- most prominently Nelson Vergel and Michael Mooney -- who advocate large vitamin doses for poz folk. Vergel and Mooney's site:

Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.

I take a ,multi vitamine a store brand, Does other more expensive multi vitamines work better? Can any-one tell me & if one does could you give me a name & or a link to that particular sight if possible?

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I am taking TRUVADA & SUSTIVA; I have been taking these drugs for about 6 months now.My counts are:HIV RNA,QUANT,PCR (HVL):<400 copies/mL%CD4: 48%ABSOLUTE # CD4:1150%CD8: 24%ABSOLUTE # CD8 576CD4:CD8 RATIO (HSRAT): 2.0I take these pills in the morning when I get up with 6-8oz of plain water. I have no reaction mented I only have a condition that I'm shure the pills make my skin itch, I have other health problems the amount of pills that I take two times a day is 22.

I take the Megafood brand of multi vitamins. They have a variety of options including one they call Medi-Safe "without the potential of interaction with your prescriptions from Herbs, Iron, Iodine, or Vitamin K." Most, if not all of their products are made from 100% foods (no synthetic vitamins).

I've been taking Megafood One-Daily which has iron and herbal ingredients. I had a pharmacist look at the contents and other than waiting a few hours after taking my HIV meds to take the multi's she said they are AOK to take. I'm still probably going to switch to a no-iron variety.

For a science based supplementation for HIV visit http://www.grouppekurosawa.com. It speaks for itself! click on treatment protocol link. It works for me and includes many of the supplements previously mentioned, nor to mention my overall focus and health is great.